The Storytelling Lab The Ethics of Filming Real Love Triangles in Mistress Dispeller with Elizabeth Lo
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Oct 13, 2025 In this engaging discussion, documentary filmmaker Elizabeth Lo dives into the intricacies of her film Mistress Dispeller, which explores the unconventional role of a mistress dispeller in China. She shares her approach to ethical storytelling, emphasizing the importance of empathy and trust in her work. Elizabeth reveals her unique methods for capturing emotional tension through stillness, and how she navigates the often murky waters of documentary filmmaking. Listeners will gain insights into balancing authenticity with narrative clarity while respecting her subjects' complex realities.
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Three Angles Of The Same Entanglement
- Mistress dispellers infiltrate affairs under false identities to convince the other party to end the relationship over weeks or months.
- The film shows the wife, mistress, and husband perspectives to expand audience empathy for all three sides.
Access Found On Day One
- Elizabeth discovered Teacher Wang on day one of scouting because Wang immediately got access to a husband, wife, and mistress at the tail end of a case.
- That afternoon, Elizabeth watched a cheating husband break down and cry, which shifted her empathy unexpectedly toward him.
Stray Originated From Personal Loss
- Stray sprang from Elizabeth's personal grief about a dog and curiosity about how different cultures treat animals.
- Filming in Turkey revealed surprising human-dog relationships that reframed her assumptions about love.